I didn’t choose wood flooring—the trade chose me. Long before I understood business or legacy, I was already learning what it meant to show up, work hard and take pride in what I leave behind.
Born and raised in the Bronx, N.Y., the birthplace of hip hop and home of the New York Yankees, I am a third-generation floorman. In addition to seeing Black representation in music and sports, I had the unique experience of seeing it in the wood flooring industry. My uncle Kyle Kirkland and great uncle Willy Bradley showed me there was room for me in wood flooring.
My uncle Kyle Kirkland and great uncle Willy Bradley showed me there was room and opportunity for me in the wood flooring industry.
Growing up where I did, you do not have to go far to see the difference in opportunity. Ten minutes away can look like a completely different world. I remember the first job my uncle took me to. I was about 11 years old. We drove out to Scarsdale, N.Y. I did not fully understand the craft, but I understood what I was seeing: The structure, the condition of the home and the level of care were different from what I saw every day growing up in the northwest Bronx. That moment stayed with me. It made me think about what is possible. I realized that while there is a gap between levels of opportunities, wood flooring could be the bridge that connected me to more possibilities.
Sanding machines, dust in the air, long days and high expectations became my normal. I learned to never cut corners because my name was tied to the work I did. I was determined to reach the level of craftsmanship I saw on my first job. In high school, I started what would become the business I still operate today: iSandNewYork. It was not about starting a business at the time. It was about taking ownership. Since then, I have completed hundreds of hardwood floors throughout the tri-state area. I built my name one job at a time. No shortcuts. No handouts. Numerous floors, plenty of happy clients, thousands of hours, and one standard: Do it right every time.
My name is tied to every floor I work on. So, I do it right every time.
Along the way, I learned from men like John Wilson of Wilson Floors, and Sprigg Lynn of Universal Floors. They did not just do hardwood flooring—they taught discipline, industry standards and how to carry yourself as a tradesman. I learned that you can put in long hours and do everything right but still not get recognition right away. But over time, consistency speaks. In this industry, your reputation is everything, and one bad job will follow you longer than 10 good ones. The details, the edges, the corners and the finish separate real craftsmen from the rest. From rough sanding to the final coat, understanding how wood behaves is everything. How it reacts, how it takes stain and how each pass affects the next all matter. Anyone can make a floor look good for a day. Real work is making it last for years.
I also learned that skill alone is not enough. You have to know how to bid jobs right, manage your time and stay consistent. That is what turns a craft into a business. Safety, preparation, and doing things the right way are not optional. They are part of the job. This trade offers real opportunity. Not just work, but stability, ownership and the ability to build something that lasts.
The lessons that I’ve learned in the wood floor industry are some of the same ones I now pass on to the kids at WeAreTheory9, the nonprofit organization I helped found in 2019. Our mission is to support the growth and well-being of our community, the Kingsbridge neighborhood, through youth programs, such as basketball teams, financial literacy workshops, career prep classes, photography workshops and even a wood flooring program that I like to call A Floorman’s Dream. Through these programs, I focus on showing up and creating access. A lot of young people do not even know trades like wood flooring are an option. We introduce them to the craft, teach them the basics and show them there is a real path forward. Programs modeled after standards like the National Flooring Contractors Apprenticeship Program help create that pipeline.
Campers ages 5–7 helped build this outdoor stage as A Floorman’s Dream project at Mosholu Day Camp in the Bronx, N.Y.
I have seen what happens when people are not given opportunity, and I have seen what happens when they are. That is why I stayed in my northwest Bronx neighborhood. I chose restoration over relocation. Just like a hardwood floor, communities go through wear. That does not mean you replace them. It means you restore them. You put the time in, you do the work and you bring them back to life.
As my work has grown, so has my responsibility. I am currently running for 81st District Leader in the Bronx. Not from a political standpoint, but from a place of representation. Hardwood flooring has become more than a trade for me. It is a tool of representation. At the end of the day, I am still a floorman. I stand behind the tools, products and standards that push this trade forward.
I am currently running for 81st District Leader in the Bronx; not from a political standpoint, but a place of representation.
For those in the trade, reach back and teach someone. For those coming up, stay consistent and take pride in your work. I build pathways through my work, my community and the next generation. I am not just part of this trade—I represent where it is going next.
